The Programme for Partnership Government committed to providing additional capital funding to the State’s Enterprise Agencies as a means of accelerating export led jobs growth across Ireland’s regions. Specifically the Programme committed to providing an additional €300million in capital funding between Enterprise Ireland and Udaras na Gaeltachta to allow them to provide additional support to Irish owned enterprises, including by resourcing the Local Enterprise Offices and incubation centres to help support start-ups and small businesses across the country.
The Deputy will appreciate that Enterprise Ireland operates under the auspices of my Department, whereas Udaras na Gaeltacht operates under the auspices of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for which my colleague Minister Josepha Madigan TD has responsibility.
Insofar as Enterprise Ireland is concerned, EI’s capital baseline in 2015 was €50m, this was increased to €56m in 2016 and further increased to a record €63m in 2017 and maintained at that level in 2018. As regards the Local Enterprise Offices, the LEOs capital baseline was €18.5m in 2015, this was increased to €22.5m in 2017 and maintained at that level in 2018. The LEOs also received an additional €1m in capital funding in my Department’s Supplementary Estimate in 2016.
As regards Udaras na Gaeltachta, its capital baseline in Budget 2016 was €6.687m. Additional capital funding of €2.4m was provided for an tÚdarás during 2016. In 2017 additional capital funding of €2.27m was provided for an tÚdarás bringing the total capital funding that year to €8,957m. The baseline allocation for an Udarás in 2018 is €7m.
The additional capital funding provided to EI, the LEOs and an tUdaras has been key in supporting Irish businesses, across all regions of the country, including in the Irish speaking communities, to develop and compete more effectively. This increased funding is bearing dividends. Two-thirds (64%) of new Enterprise Ireland client jobs created in 2017 were outside of Dublin. Unemployment is decreasing in all regions. In addition, exports by Enterprise Ireland clients exceeded €22.7 billion in 2017, the highest level of export sales ever recorded in the EI’s history.
Regional Development is a key objective of the State’s Enterprise Agencies, not least of EI, the LEOs and an tUdaras. I very much welcome the co-operation between the State’s Enterprise Agencies in progressing this objective. In this regard, the Deputy may be aware of the protocol entered into by Údarás na Gaeltachta and EI in relation to LEOs. The aim of this protocol is to ensure equal opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses with regard to Government supports. This protocol is being put in place to ensure that all client enterprises of Údarás na Gaeltachta and LEOs have equal access to services and funded programmes and will benefit from enhanced collaboration and information sharing between the organisations.
As regards future capital investment, the Deputy will also be aware that the capital allocations for both my Department and Minister Madigan’s Department will increase significantly over the period of the National Plan Development Plan. This will ensure that our respective Enterprise Agencies can continue to play their important part in supporting Irish enterprises and job creation in all regions of the country.
